The First Draft of Destiny
by The Forrest of Fanfic
Summary: Merlin's mother dies at the hands of knights from Camelot when the boy is young. Balinor returns and whisks him away to Nemeth at the age of eight to keep him safe from Uther's tyranny. Whilst he is there, Balinor introduces him to the King, Queen and their daughter Mithian. It's now nine years later and now Merlin must go to Camelot and fulfil his destiny.
1. Prologue

**A/N:**

 **Hey guys! Guess what? I'm not dead in fact I'm back and I have great news.**

 **I've teamed up with the brilliant AJsRandom and written a Merlin fic. It's already on AO3 so if you want to see everything right now go over there.**

 **The first 5 chapters and prologue are mine while the last 5 and the epilogue are AJ's so do enjoy and they will be uploaded every other day.**

 **Also, the very nice cover art is the great work of AJ, she just does everything…**

* * *

 _Dear, Uncle Gaius,_

 _Father says I should write more letters to you. I used to only send one a month, near the end with mother's letter. Father says you cried when you heard that mother was going to be sleeping for a long time._

 _Why? Is mother not coming back? I'll miss her if she doesn't._

 _Father says that I can't say anything about my gifts or my friends because the bad people might be able to see this letter. But he said I could use special words to describe them._

 _I like K a lot but he isn't very fun. Sometimes I will make him laugh and it is very loud. It reminds me of Father's laugh, so maybe when I grow up that will be my laugh. Father says that K and I are kin but we look very different so I do not understand that yet. Dad has been teaching me about our ways as the noble people we are. I really enjoy it but it is a lot to learn and I fall asleep sometimes but Father never gets mad. He just smiles._

 _I am 9 in a few days. Will the King let you come see me? Father says you help a lot of people and might not be able to make it but I hope you do. You are like a second Father and I would like to visit you but Father says it is dangerous._

 _I know he would protect me from the bad men though. He always has._

 _My letter to Gwen is in the envelope as well. I really like writing to her and Father says that it's good I've found a friend, I don't have many. Gwen promised if I ever came to Camelot I will have lots of friends but I am not sure. I know I am not like them._

 _Please, please write soon. I think we're moving again though. Father says he has friends in the castle of Nemeth, old friends he says. He said that I might even meet the King's daughter, apparently she is very pretty. I can't wait to meet her._

 _Love from your favourite nephew,_

 _Merlin_


	2. Chapter 1

"Merlin?" The young man looked up from his sketch pad to see his sister. She was in tears, they ran down her cheeks but luckily she never wore make up. He quickly wrapped her up in a hug. Merlin slowly stroked her head and made sure she was resting under his chin.

"What happened? Are you okay?" She didn't say anything but held tighter to him. He had no idea what could possibly make her this emotional, everyone knew _he_ was the emotional one. "Do you remember the first time you hugged me? When we were ten?" Merlin suddenly said.

Mithian looked up, confused, but it soon grew in to a small smile as she remembered that day. "You went bright red and everyone basically declared you would be my future husband." She giggled and he grinned down at her. He loved making her smile; she had such a wonderful smile. He did everything possible to see her smile: he sparred with her, drew with her, gossiped with her and he even used magic for her.

Mithian's father already knew about his father's magic and therefore his magic. They told her when they arrived. He was so scared at first, his father and he had just reached Nemeth. He was only eight and had always been told to never tell anybody about his magic. But when he fainted in front of the King and Queen of Nemeth and their daughter he felt justified in doing so.

"Come." He took her hand and helped her to the chair next to him. "Look at what I've drawn." He took a few of the scattered papers from his desk and sat next to Mithian. Unfortunately, she'd gone back to her teary - eyed state.

He took both her hands in his and gave her a small smile then put the papers on her lap. He watched as she began to smile wider and wider. As he found things to make Mithian smile, he'd fell in love with everything he found. He loved to draw: he drew the skies, Kilgharrah the great dragon, his father, Rodor, and Mithian. Sometimes he would draw, just for Mithian, her…

"Mother!" She wrapped him in a huge embrace. Her tears were no longer sad and lost in despair but happy and thankful. He loved it; he enjoyed it more than being happy himself. His very determined sister did not like that at all.

"A memory came back to me this morning." He looked wistful as his mind travelled back to his 9th birthday. "Remember when Uncle Gaius couldn't come to see me on my birthday all those years ago and I was beyond distressed?"

Mithian looked up from the drawing of her mother and nodded before placing the drawings on the bed next to her. "Not even I could make you happy." He smiled, knowing that to be a very rare thing.

"Your mother, she took me to the lake just outside the castle walls. It was late and by the time we got there the whole castle was ready to send out a battalion and my father a dragon." They chuckled, knowing one of those to be true. "We sat by the old spruce tree and she told me to look at the stars and to pick one. Then she said that Gaius was probably looking at that same star right now. And…A…And," a tear slipped from his eye as he put a hand to his mouth to stop himself from sobbing; he'd been very close to the Queen before she died. She was like a second mother.

"And we miss her every day" she finished. They moved over to the bed and hugged and cried and remembered. If anyone were to come in now there would be no scandal. No that phase of their relationship was over; there would be no guards because as far as the kingdom were concerned they were brother and sister. They would have each other always.

Merlin pulled away then "Now tell me what brought you here in the first place." The look of complete loss came over her features and he held her tighter.

"Uncle Balinor says that you have to go to Camelot to fulfil your destiny."

"WHAT?"


	3. Chapter 2

" _WHAT?"_

"You knew this was going to happen. The druids have named you Emrys and it is your destiny to help the Once and Future King unite Albion -"

"And lift the ban on magic everywhere. Yes, yes I know. It has been drilled in to my head since those damned druids found me!" He shouted, angry at the world taking him away from his father, his Uncle Rodor and his sister. It wasn't fair.

"Merlin, there is no need to shout." She was right of course. He needed to do this for his kind, for the betterment of the kingdoms. But Camelot? _Seriously?_

"Who is the Once and Future King?" Merlin asked knowing Mithian would have asked before coming.

"Prince Arthur Pendragon." His head snapped up so fast Mithian had to move back to keep from being hit.

"How can that be possible? His father slaughtered us by the hundreds; he has sent the druids in to hiding. He's destroyed most of the blood guard, the Catha, every magical creature, and the order of the high priests and priestesses." His breathing was ragged and his sister knew better than to come close when he was in an emotional state. His magic became sporadic and unpredictable, uncontrollable even. "He sent knights to kill me and my family. He killed my mother and made us outlaws, on the run from his tyranny."

Suddenly, the posts of his bed snapped and the canopy crashed onto the bed. Mithian yelped and Merlin threw himself in his chair in a huff. His knuckles were white as he clutched to the arms of the chair.

"But you found me, didn't you?" A smile adorned his face as he turned and looked at her. He rose from his chair and pulled her in for another hug, one that he would savour knowing he would probably be leaving soon.

"I found the best sister and the best future Queen there will ever be." He kissed her forehead and whispered a spell. She instantly turned from him to watch his magic.

The clothes flew from his wardrobe and into his bag. The posts fixed themselves and the canopy was back to how it was like nothing had happened. His drawings on the bed flew to the desk drawers where they locked themselves away whilst Merlin's swords, already sheathed, came to him and he tightened his belt so that the swords hung at his sides.

"Here." He handed her the key to his chambers and another to his desk drawer. "If you ever miss me?" The tears had started again and he was pulled into another hug. He wasn't sure if he would be totally unhappy suffocating in one of these hugs and never have to go to a place where he cannot use magic openly like he could in Nemeth.

Rodor had complied with the treaty rules from Camelot. They decreed magic outlawed but never once had he executed someone for simply having magic. But the stories in Camelot were very different. Uther killed without mercy and paid people who captured druids or sorcerers, it would be hell but if his son could grow in to a better man, one that would save Merlin's kind then he would persevere.

Merlin left the comfort of his sister's arms and tried to carry all the bags to no avail. "You know we have servants for a reason." She clicked her fingers and in they came. They took the bags and Merlin picked up his sketchbook.

Silently, they made their way to the courtyard where his horse would be waiting. On the way, the maids and menservants' stopped at the sight of him and bowed their heads low for him despite the he wasn't nobility or royalty. The nobles smiled and acknowledged him and their children waved sadly.

They walked out to a rather overcast day and he looked out to see King Rodor and his father waiting for him with a carriage. He looked for a moment as Mithian who just smiled.

"What's this? I don't need a carriage." He was happy at the gesture but preferred to ride on a horse or dragon but he doubted Kilgharrah would approve. He isn't a horse, as he liked to preach every time Merlin had gone for rides.

"Yes, but you don't expect the princess of Nemeth to ride all the way there do you?" Mithian replied. Merlin turned to his sister who just smiled and strolled towards the carriage but turned to look back at him. "You aren't going into that tyrant's kingdom without me to protect you."

"I think my boy can defend himself." Merlin saw his father and Rodor moving towards him now. "He is of course an Ambrosius." His father laughed that almighty belly laugh which made him think so much of his scaly friend.

"I guess this is it. Time to fulfil my destiny." Merlin threw his arms around the two men who he knew would awkwardly pat him on the back. They were manly men and he was extremely emotional - what his father had teasingly described to him as feminine.

"Goodbye son. I know you've had a rough early life and I had hoped that the druids would give you more time here in Nemeth. But their seers have shown things that mean your time is now. K also says goodbye and apologised that he cannot be here to see you off for obvious reasons." His father gestured to the bustle of people.

"May the courage of Nemeth's people be with you Merlin." Rodor squeezed his shoulder and Merlin placed his hand over Rodor's. "I have ruled a kingdom for a long time but not once have I had to stand up for my entire race. You are a remarkable young boy and I have every faith in you." Merlin was already struggling to keep it together and pulled the two men in for one last hug.

Merlin took a deep breath and jumped on his horse. He looked over to Percival, Captain of the guard who would be escorting them, and nodded. Percival then gestured for the group to move out of the courtyard and through the gates. He was a very muscular man and almost always silent but when he spoke it was always concise, meaningful and wise.

"Do not judge a book by its cover." Percival suddenly said and Merlin looked over to him and smiled, knowing that that little piece of advice would probably matter soon enough.

Whatever that little piece of advice meant he had no clue.


	4. Chapter 3

"Catch up Merlin!" They had just entered the borders of Camelot and Mithian had thought it a great idea to start racing. Rather annoyingly though, she'd decided not to tell Merlin till she was 30 ft ahead.

"I would be a lot closer if you didn't cheat," he joked back as he tried to push his horse, Gordon, to go faster. Gordon was his first horse and he'd raised him from birth. He'd been a birthday present from Mithian.

"It's not cheating, it's a royal advantage." She laughed back and he just laughed along with her.

They turned back after a while because they knew Percival would not be pleased with their running off like that. Quickly they raced back and Merlin would have declared himself the winner if their knights hadn't been fighting bandits.

Merlin instantly took out his short swords while Mithian took out her broad one and they joined the fight. Merlin slipped stealthily through the small gaps between the fighting knights and quickly stabbed many before they could react. Mithian took to taking each one straight on. Merlin turned and ran his sword through another bandit and saw one about to take his sister's head off from behind. His eyes glowed a golden colour and the bandit was thrown back 20 ft.

They quickly finished up the rest and sheathed their swords. Merlin took in the number of deaths on their part and saw only Sir Percival and Sir Elyan left. Elyan was Gwen's brother; Merlin and Gwen had been writing letters to each other for years. So when Elyan arrived in Nemeth Merlin practically begged the King to make him a knight so that he wouldn't get himself into trouble. Apparently he was prone to doing just that.

"Come, Elyan has a sister to see." Merlin decided he and Mithian should stay in the carriage this time so that they'd be there to give back up to the knights. Percival took the right and Elyan the left and the four made their way through the forest until they came to a clearing. Mithian thought it best to set up camp there so they stopped and prepared to camp for the night.

Once they had collected firewood Merlin lit the fire with a flick of his wrist. He usually cooked whenever he went hunting with Mithian. He hated the sport but it made her happy so he kept his negativity to himself. However, Percival had decided that the knights would cook for them since they saved their lives. Merlin had been worried that dinner wouldn't be very good but he was surprised to find the broth very tasty.

"This is great. Where did you two learn to cook?" Mithian asked digging quickly in to her food whilst the others looked on in mild amusement of her unladylike qualities.

"Percival lived with the druids and they taught him how to cook amongst other things and Gwen taught me how to cook when I went to see her a few years ago. I'm not that good; Percy did most of it."

Merlin was really excited to see Gwen. He had never seen her before but he knew he would like her - a few years ago Gaius let slip that Merlin had magic and Gwen, as far as Merlin knew, was completely fine with it. He was definitely looking forward to seeing her face when she found out he was a noble and considered by the kingdom as royal.

Merlin was a secret to the other kingdoms. If Uther found out he was Balinor's son Merlin would be killed and a war would start between the Kingdoms. But now he was officially leaving the kingdom he needed an alias.

"Merlin Montgomery." He turned to his sister slack jawed as she simply grinned and carried on with her broth.

"But how did you? What?" It was a fantastic name however it was also her second name which would officially name him brother of the Princess of Nemeth. Just then Mithian took something out of her pouch and handed it over to him.

"Father wanted you to have it but he said that I should wait until we get to Camelot. He knew you'd try to give it back to him in Nemeth." Merlin opened up his hand and gasped as he looked at the golden ring which bore the seal of Nemeth.

"I can't take this." He tried handing it back to her but she took it and slipped it on to his finger instead.

"Yes you can. You've spent your life making me happy and in doing so you became a skilled fighter, an artist, a builder, an architect, a labourer, and a hunter. You're the best brother ever and you're only 17." Merlin had never really thought properly about how much he did all in the effort to keep her happy but it was definitely a lot. "Why not make it official?" She looked at him with that damn pleading puppy dog face that made her look like the saddest person in the five kingdoms. And if he was truly honest with himself…

How could he possibly say no to her?

"Okay Mithian, my sister."


	5. Chapter 4

Luckily, Camelot had been notified of Merlin's legitimacy so at least that part of his mind was at ease when he entered its gates in his carriage. He looked over to Mithian, who had an encouraging smile on her face. It made him think back to how she could get him to do the most ridiculous things with that smile. He conceded that coming here was probably the most ridiculous thing he will ever do. A magic user willingly entering Camelot; what sort of idiot was he?

When he glanced outside the window it looked as if the entire castle had come to greet him and Mithian. But his gaze was instantly drawn to a certain woman. She was pale in the face much like him but with emerald green eyes. He found that staring in to those eyes made him feel powerless, as if she could take his magic away with a simple look. He couldn't tare his gaze away from her until Mithian kicked his leg.

"Hey, ouch! What was that for?" Merlin grabbed his shin and he watched as she just smiled.

"Two seconds into Camelot and you fall head over heels for Uther's ward" Merlin had no idea; he had never left Nemeth before so everything felt new "Her name is Morgana Gorlois." At that Merlin's head snapped up.

"Gorlois? As in Gorlois and Vivienne?" Mithian nodded excitedly. "Father always spoke of how often he and Gorlois would come out of the tavern, drinks in hand, women in the other…" He took a wistful glance back at Morgana and saw she was more like her mother than anything, Merlin had seen portraits of both her parents and his father had described them to him but now, seeing their daughter, he needed to draw them.

"You must remember your story. Merlin; you are Merlin Montgomery the illegitimate child of King Rodor and you're my half-brother. You're here to learn more about culture in other kingdoms." Merlin nodded along slowly whilst grinning at all the children that were waving to the carriage. "Hopefully, this will get you close enough to Arthur so that you can protect him and maybe even convince him that magic cannot be all bad." Merlin turned then, looking quite solemn.

"What if I can't? What if he finds out about my magic and has me killed?" He whispered, fearful of being over heard despite the ruckus of cheering around them.

"Then you will teleport out and ride back to Nemeth" Mithian said without hesitation. "Back to me." They shared a hug in the carriage before it pulled to a stop.

Merlin stepped out first and gave his hand for Mithian to take. Afterward she looped arms with him and they smiled, making small waves to the crowds. When they reached the King they bowed and hoped they didn't show how begrudgingly they were doing it.

"Princess Mithian and the newly Prince Merlin welcome to Camelot" Merlin had always had this idealistic view of Uther having never seen him before. He thought Uther was a miserable, old, man whose smile was evil and twisted but as he looked upon him now, the King looked much like Rodor. He was a little old, Merlin could tell, but he seemed to be a rather happy man. Although Merlin did have a burning hatred for the man he knew he could not kill him; it wasn't the way.

"Thank you your majesty, most kingdoms would not house a newly crowned prince from another kingdom and teach him their ways." The older man smiled tenderly and Merlin thought about all those stories that his father told him about Uther's overwhelming kindness and honourable justice. He'd never believed them but now Merlin could see it.

"Of course. I wouldn't turn away royals from a Kingdom we have had peace with for so long" Merlin nodded finally understanding that this was about the strength of the treaty and not the kindness of his heart. "Please meet my son Prince Arthur Pendragon and the Lady Morgana Gorlois."

Arthur put out his hand and Merlin shook it smiling at the Prince "It's good to meet you, Prince Merlin. I hope you enjoy your stay here in Camelot." Merlin grinned and thanked him.

"I have heard a lot about you, Arthur; I hear you're the best sword in the five Kingdoms." Arthur nodded; looking extremely proud and Merlin didn't miss the quick glance his father's way. "I myself am rather good with my own weapon; maybe we can duel tomorrow morning on your training grounds."

"That seems like an excellent idea, Prince Merlin. I would love to see your weapon of choice." Merlin nodded and moved on down the line where he came eye to eye with Morgana.

Whilst Arthur was taking a little bit more time with Mithian, a fact that would definitely not make him overprotective at all, the Lady Morgana curtsied and he quickly looked at Mithian, she gestured to the ring he wore. He awkwardly lifted it and looked at Mithian for confirmation; she quickly nodded and hid her laughter. An awkward silence came over the two and Merlin scrabbled for something to say.

"I'm sorry, my lady, I have never done this before. My conversational skills are not something to be boasted about." That earned a laugh from her and he hoped it wasn't a fake laugh she put on for his sake.

"It's fine your grace -"

"Please, it's Merlin" He leant forward to whisper in her ear, "'Your grace' is my father." She laughed again; Merlin felt like he was on a roll here.

"Merlin it is then." He grinned and looked to her left. There was a dark girl; a servant. Suddenly he gasped dragging the attention of everyone else. How could he have forgotten Gwen was Morgana's maidservant?

"Gwen, did you get my letter?" She looked up and her mouth fell as she realised he was the Merlin she had been writing to for years.

"Yes, sire, but I don't think there will be a need to send you one now you are here." She was quite reserved and he realised that now everyone knew that she had been in contact with an estranged prince.

"Quite" He turned to the King with the best smile he could come up with. It was just a small smile in contrast to what he was hoping for.

"Come; let us go inside the castle. The servants will show you to your rooms and a feast will be held in your honour." The king led the way followed by Arthur then Morgana and Gwen. Morgana turned to look at him. He gave her a small timid wave which she reciprocated before whispering something to Gwen.

"Did I do something worth whispering about?" He turned to Mithian who was smiling coyly at the two.

"For such a great destiny, you can be so thick."


	6. Chapter 5

_**AN: This is the last chapter for me! I hope you enjoyed my part and from now onwards you shall have nothing but the sweet writing and quip-full dialogue that can only be from the brilliant AJ!**_

Mithian had gone to her room and Merlin was following another servant. He thought his name was George but couldn't be certain. Merlin's thoughts went to Morgana as they had done since he watched her leave with Gwen. He still had to talk to Gwen and Gaius. He thought about Morgana's sheer perfection and was itching to draw now; Mithian had seen it, of course. His fingers were miming the holding of a piece of charcoal the way it did when he was excited about drawing.

Merlin could feel the picture clearing in his mind, her long black locks, her cherry red lips and her beautiful green irises. It would be his master piece.

Merlin was so caught up in his thoughts that he accidently bumped in to the servant who had just stopped outside a wooden door. Merlin was surprised to hear the servant apologise but didn't comment on it. He was too enveloped in his portrait. The servant led him in and Merlin nodded looking at a blank wall and thinking how good a portrait of Morgana would look framed just there.

"Is there anything else, sire?" Merlin snapped out of his musings and turned to the servant with a rather wide grin on his face.

"Oh yes, I am going to need a canvas and a few drawing charcoals" He thought for a moment before nodding and smiling. He looked up at the servant again who was looking strangely at him "Some food would be appreciated and could you also send for Guinevere? She is the lady Morgana's maid and I wish to speak with her." The servant nodded and didn't break eye contact with him until the door closed.

Merlin sat in his chambers looking at his wall. He had the servant – his name _was_ George - move all the furniture on that wall. It was a struggle for him so Merlin may or may not have used a spell to lighten the load. The wall had a blank canvas hanging on it and Merlin frowned, not really knowing where he should start

Suddenly there was a knock at the door and Merlin got up to open it. He found a very nervous-looking Guinevere outside. "You look quite nervous even though we have been writing to each other for years."

"Well I didn't know you were a Prince till now, did I? Morgana has been pestering me all day." She chuckled to herself and added, "I think she's jealous." Merlin began to blush which made Gwen laugh even more.

"Come inside, I would love to get to know you more" Gwen gladly walked in looking a lot less nervous than before.

"But we've been talking for years, I've told you everything about myself and we both know I know a lot about you." He looked at her worriedly for a second and she coyly said "I will not tell a soul, for a price". Merlin was wary now; he'd thought Gwen was very kind, at least. That's how Gaius always described her when he came to Nemeth. "Show me some?" He laughed; relieved she was just messing with him.

"Of course!" He laughed and opened the window slightly; he then turned to Gwen "This was a spell that took me ages to master because of how complex it was, but apparently it should have taken years for me to learn it."

"How long did it take you?" Gwen said cautiously, wondering how powerful Merlin must be.

"Oh, it took me about a week and a half. I didn't leave my room until I perfected it, you should have seen my father's face. He was so proud." He smiled at her before clasping his hands together and whispering inside his palm. A light poured from his hand which lit the room up like the sun and Gwen had to shield herself. When she dropped her hand, she gasped at the sight of a butterfly slowly flapping its wings in Merlin's palm. The wings were like nothing she had ever seen, they were a bright yellow but they seemed to pulse.

"That's magic, pure pulsing magic coursing through it. Letting it live its life." Suddenly it went up in flames. Gwen jumped back and looked horrified at the pile of ash that now lay in his hand. "And here, in Camelot, no such thing can live." He looked up and Gwen saw something in his face akin to a kicked puppy, so she brought him in to a hug.

"Whilst you're here I want to see as much magic as possible." He pulled away from her and looked at her with astonishment. "I don't want you to force all of the beautiful things you can do in to hiding. You need to let it out."

Gwen was shocked as Merlin pulled her in to a huge bear hug "Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for understanding."

"Merlin you're suffocating me." Gwen breathed out. Merlin instantly let her go and moved away, scratching the back of his head and looking down sheepishly. Gwen looked to the bare wall and the blank canvas blank hanging on it. On the floor she spotted a lot of drawing charcoal. "You never told me you drew."

"It's something I like to keep to myself and my family but I think it would be nice to express it here." Merlin went over to the blank canvas and shook his head seemingly annoyed.

"What is it? Do you not know what to draw?" Merlin looked at her like she was mad.

"Of course I know what I'm going to draw, but she is so perfect I don't know if I can." Merlin's eyes widened after his short outburst and by the glint in Gwen's eye she knew of whom he spoke. "Please don't tell her," he mumbled pleadingly.

"I won't, don't worry, but what if she comes in to your chambers one day? Won't she see it?" He glanced at her mischievously and his eyes glowed gold and just like that the canvas disappeared.

"Well, that clears that up then." They shared a hearty laugh and Gwen was about to leave when she turned on her heel and met Merlin's eyes. "Why don't you spend more time with her? Maybe that will trigger something in you which will help you draw her." She suggested and left without a word.

"Now why didn't I think of that?"


	7. Chapter 6

After Gwen left, Merlin sat on his bed to think. There really was no reason he couldn't visit Morgana. As far as anyone knew, they were of fairly equal statuses. The only problem he could see was Uther—the King might not want him as a suitor for his ward. But he decided that she was worth the risk. He really wanted to draw that portrait.

He got up to find George to ask him what to do then remembered that not only was it nighttime, it was late. So he sat back down to think for a while longer. In no time at all, he became lost in fantasies about her:

Morgana laughing, whilst running through a field of flowers and holding out her hand to him.

Morgana sitting on his bed while modeling for his portrait, her eyes directed solely at him.

Morgana and him sitting at a table together, talking while she put a hand on his.

Morgana swirling around a ballroom, dressed in a glorious emerald gown that matched her eyes.

Morgana—

A knock sounded at his door, pulling him from his reverie. "What? Oh. Enter!"

George entered the room, closing the door behind him. "I've come to undress you for bed, sire."

"Undress me? I can undress myself, I think," he replied.

The servant looked frustrated for a moment before saying, "Royalty should not have to undress themselves. It is a privilege of their station."

"Oh fine. Get to it then, I suppose."

Merlin held out his arms and George helped him undress down to his underwear. He waited for a few moments while George retrieved a sleep shirt and pants from the wardrobe. After he put those on Merlin, he turned down the bed and snuffed all the candles but one. Then he turned to Merlin and said, "Is there anything else you require this evening sire?"

"Merlin."

"Pardon?"

"Please call me Merlin."

George looked confused for a moment. "All right si—uh, Merlin."

"Thank you, and goodnight."

George just nodded and left the room. Merlin lay down on the incredibly comfortable bed; he enjoyed its softness on his back for a few moments before rolling over and falling asleep.

He woke in the morning with a sense of anticipation—ah, Morgana. But it felt like there was something he was missing, maybe he was forgetting something? But the thought flew from his mind as a knock sounded on his door and startled him. "Come in?" he said.

"I've brought breakfast, si—uh, Merlin," George replied. He sat a tray on the table then asked, "Would you like to dress first or eat first."

"Definitely eat." Merlin's mouth was watering. Between bites of food, he asked, "George, how would I go about seeing the Lady Morgana?"

George's eyes bugged out for a moment before he opened his mouth. "I can ask Guinevere to relay a message to her Ladyship, if you'd like."

"I supposed I can't just go knock on her door," Merlin mused. "Please do talk to Gwen. Thank you George." He finished his breakfast without further comment.

As George cleared away the dishes, he said, "I believe you have an appointment with Prince Arthur this morning. Do you require any armor? I can seek some in the armory."

Merlin was surprised for the second time that morning. "Oh! I forgot about that. I think just chainmail, thank you."

George looked mildly surprised but nodded. He lifted the tray with the dirty dishes and left, promising to fetch the mail on his way back to Merlin's room. Merlin did have to dress, after all.

After George left, Merlin decided he could dress himself. He pulled a light tunic, trousers and a gambeson out of his wardrobe and slipped behind the screen to put them on. It's good he did that, because there was a quick knock on the door followed by a female voice calling out his name.

"I'm here!"

"Oh, sorry to disturb you," Gwen's voice said. There was a pause, then "I talked to George. He mentioned you wanted to see Lady Morgana?"

He flushed at the suggestive slant to her voice. "Ah, yes?" he replied, before stepping out from behind the screen.

"Well you're in luck. It seems she wants to see you, too. She'll be at the match you're having with Prince Arthur."

He flushed a bit deeper at that. Then his eyes caught the blank canvas and drawing charcoal sitting at the other end of his table. He smiled broadly at Gwen. "Good! I take it I can talk to her then?"

"Of course. You'll want to put on a good show to impress her. I mean, she's already interested, but it couldn't hurt." She thought for a moment. "You'll have a tough time with Prince Arthur though—he really is one of the best in Albion—"

"Gwen," he cut her off. "I _know_ that. You're not helping my nervousness. But I wouldn't have given him the idea if I wasn't sure about my own abilities."

"Oh yeah. Sorry, I just ramble sometimes."

"It's all right. I'll see you at the training yard too?"

"I'll be there." She gave him a small curtsey and laughed before she left.

Through the open door came George. He looked surprised that Merlin had dressed himself, but came over with the chainmail and helped him don that. Once Merlin was ready, he asked George to lead him to the training yard.

Merlin was relieved when they got there. George was a very efficient servant, but the man's sense of humor left much to be desired. But at least his terrible jokes about polishing brass kept Merlin's mind off of how nervous he was. It had returned full force now that he was here and could see that Prince Arthur was warming up with a couple of his knights—at the same time.

Arthur stopped when he caught sight of Merlin. "Ah, Prince Merlin," he said as he jabbed his sword into the grass. He walked over and clapped a hand to his shoulder. "Ready for our bout?"

"Call me Merlin, please. There's no need to stand on ceremony," Merlin replied.

"All right, Merlin. Would you like to warm up with one of my knights?"

"That would be great, thank you."

Arthur beckoned one of his knights over, a tall man with curly hair and beard to match. "Sir Leon, would you help Prince Merlin warm up?"

The knight nodded deferentially. "It would be my honor sire. Your highness?" He pointed to a clear space a little ways away.

"Thank you, Sir Leon," Merlin replied. He drew his swords from his sides and got into fighting position. Sir Leon drew his sword and faced him, also at the ready. Merlin attacked first, forcing Sir Leon to the defensive. They traded blows, parried and blocked for a solid five minutes before Merlin saw an opening and took it. Sir Leon was on his back in two moves, Merlin's crossed swords on either side of his throat.

Leon looked up at Merlin for a moment before smiling. "That—was—good," he gasped.

"Thanks," Merlin replied. He pulled his swords away and offered a hand to his opponent. Leon took it and was soon standing next to him again.

Arthur walked over, applauding slowly. "Good show, Merlin, but are you ready to face me now?"


	8. Chapter 7

"You know I am," Merlin replied. He watched as everyone began to back away from him and Arthur. To his right, he saw the Lady Morgana, Gwen and Mithian walk up to the crowd that now ringed them. He smiled at her and to his delight, she smiled back.

"I see Morgana's caught your eye. Too bad she can't help, you know?" Arthur taunted. He twirled his sword in his hand and assumed a ready position.

"Good thing I don't need her help then." He also moved into a ready position.

With a yell, Arthur came at him. Merlin blocked it easily. The strength of the blow made his arm tremble, but he parried it and swung his own swords. This triggered an offensive battle the likes of which Camelot hadn't seen in a long time. Arthur and Merlin traded the advantage several times. Both were impressed at the other's skill. But gradually Arthur's strength began to wear Merlin down. After ten minutes of intense swordplay, Merlin's footing slipped and he found himself on the ground, Arthur's sword planted near his head.

There were several cheers and calls of "good fight!" sounding around them. Arthur, panting hard, offered a hand to Merlin and pulled him up. He shifted his arm to take Merlin's in a knightly arm-clasp.

"Whew! That was the best challenge I've had in a long time," Arthur gasped out.

"Same here," Merlin panted.

Many knights and squires came up to them then, showering Merlin with compliments and offers of sparring. He smiled and nodded at them all, but looked through the crowd to the one he really wanted to see. Morgana stood a little closer, waiting for the crowd to disperse. "Thank you all," he told them and waved as he walked over to the women.

"That was some fight," Mithian told him with a hug. "It's easy to forget how deadly you are."

Merlin smiled at this sister. "You should know better." Tournaments had been held in Nemeth and apparently, according to Gwen's letters, many were held in Camelot as well. Merlin had won his fair share of tournaments but he wasn't allowed to go much because knights would come from Camelot. If they found anything on him or father then war would break out.

"What did you think, Lady Morgana?" Mithian asked.

Morgana blushed. "Very good. I've never seen anyone fight the way you did. How did you learn?"

"I trained with several knights in my father's court, tournaments were also regular. Many came from other places besides Nemeth, so naturally they had many different fighting styles."

"Ah, that would do it," Morgana replied.

"Merlin, shouldn't you get a bath? This is no place for a civil conversation such as we wish to have," Mithian interrupted.

Merlin glanced at her and nodded. "Quite right. Perhaps we could reconvene our chat in your chambers, Lady Morgana? After my bath, of course."

"I'd like that." she replied.

Merlin glanced at Mithian, who stood behind Morgana. She was miming something—kissing her hand? _Oh_. He picked up Morgana's hand and kissed her knuckles. "Then I will see you later, My Lady."

Morgana smiled sweetly and Merlin's heart nearly stopped beating. Boy, he was starting to fall for her for sure. He waved goodbye then caught George's eye as he walked away from the women. "Please draw me a bath, George."

"Of course s—Merlin."

"You'll get it yet, George." Merlin laughed and clapped the servant on the back before following him back to his chambers.

George helped Merlin undress while a parade of servants filled the tub. The hot water felt lovely on his skin and he enjoyed smelling the array of soaps available to him. He decided he could get used to the royal life easily. It wasn't that he hadn't had access to these kinds of things in Nemeth; he just never felt the need to use them. His father had taught him humility and service, but here he had to pretend.

He washed himself and when he was done, George brought over a drying sheet. It felt so much nicer than the flannel he'd used before. The servant helped him re-dress and Merlin looked himself over in the mirror, wishing he could get his hair to cooperate with the comb. At last he sighed and gave up, asking George to show him the way to Lady Morgana's chambers.

After a short walk, George stopped at door. "The Lady Morgana's chamber, my lor- Merlin."

"Thank you, George. I'll see you later." George nodded and left while Merlin turned to the door. His heart began beating rapidly—he was all nerves because he didn't know for sure how to act. Mithian wouldn't be there to help him. He guessed he'd have to trust his instincts. He took a deep breath and knocked.

Footsteps drew closer and the door swung open. "Hello again Merlin," Gwen greeted. "Come in."

She held the door open and closed it behind him. Morgana was seated at her vanity but rose and turned toward him. "Prince Merlin," she greeted.

"Lady Morgana," he nodded deferentially.

"Come, sit."

He followed her toward the table in the middle of the room. "Your chambers are lovely."

"Thank you, but I confess it's all down to Gwen." She smiled at the girl across the room.

"Gwen is lovely. She told you how we've been corresponding for the last few years?"

"Yes. I'm afraid I pestered her quite a lot in order to find out about you." She blushed.

"Really? What did she say?"

"That you're kind, smart, funny, generous, and curious. In other words, someone well worth knowing better."

"Thank you, My Lady."

"Call me Morgana."

"All right, Morgana. Since you know me so well, I'd like to get to know you too. It's only fair."

"Quite right. What would you like to know?"

"I noticed you followed my fight with Prince Arthur. Do you like watching swordplay?"

"Immensely. I used to practice it until the King told me to stop. He said it wasn't a proper pastime for a Lady. But between you and me, I think it was because I beat Arthur and he went crying to daddy."

She began laughing and he joined her. "You enjoy teasing him?"

"Of course. Otherwise he'd be an insufferable prat!"

"So your parents are Gorlois and Vivienne Le Fay?" Her face fell. "Oh, I'm sorry; their passing must be an unpleasant memory. I ask only because the man who raised me knew them fairly well."

"It's all right. My mother died when I was really young, so I hardly remember her. My father died shortly thereafter in a battle on the northern plains."

"My mother died when I was young too. Sometimes I feel like I'm forgetting her."

She put her hand over his on the table. "It's all right, Merlin. I'm sure she's watching over you. That knowledge keeps me going when I'm sad."

"Thank you Morgana. I see now that you're not only beautiful on the outside but the inside as well." Morgana blushed as what he'd just said caught up with him. "Not that I think—I really shouldn't presume—oh damn."


	9. Chapter 8

"You think I'm beautiful?" Morgana wondered.

Merlin flushed a little and answered, "You'd have to be blind not to see it."

She squeezed his hand under hers. "That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me."

"Surely you've heard far more eloquent speeches from men around the court."

"I've had odes composed on my beauty, but after a while, they all sound the same. You're the first to look sincerely beyond it."

"That's hard to believe."

"Believe it."

Just then, Gwen entered the room with Morgana's lunch. "Oh, I forgot all about eating," Merlin exclaimed.

Gwen smiled. "Don't worry—I ran into George. He's right behind me with yours."

Merlin thanked her as she walked to the table. George walked in thirty seconds later and sat his tray in front of Merlin.

They thanked the servants and got down to the task of eating. They continued to make small talk while eating and after the servants took the dirty dishes away.

A little while later, Gwen came to stand next to Morgana and cleared her throat. "What is it, Gwen?" the Lady asked.

"It's time to dress for court," Gwen replied.

"Already?" She glanced up at Gwen, who nodded. "Just a minute. First, I must ask—have you seen much of Camelot, Merlin?"

"Not much at all."

"Oh! Well we must rectify that. Would you accompany me on a ride tomorrow morning to see some of the countryside?" Merlin looked surprised. "You can bring your sister and I'll ask Arthur. Between the two of us, I'm sure we can give a good tour." She stood.

Merlin stood up also. "I'd love that, Morgana."

"Gwen can prepare a picnic lunch."

Behind Morgana, Gwen winked at Merlin. "It would be my pleasure."

"Thank you My Lady, Gwen," Merlin replied. He picked up Morgana's hand and kissed it again. "I will see you tomorrow morning then."

Morgana looked up at him then and he made sure to imprint her face in his mind. His next task would be to return to his chambers and put that face to the blank canvas sitting there. The hand not holding Morgana's flexed as if to hold the charcoal.

He let go of her hand as the ladies bid him farewell. And after one last look at Morgana's inspiring face, he left the room and headed back to his chambers.

Once he reached his rooms, he went right to the table where the canvas and charcoal lay. He sat himself down there, thought for a moment then started sketching on parchment.

Two hours later, George came by with a message from Arthur, who wanted to know if he could show Merlin around the castle. Merlin politely declined and sent the servant away with the message. He continued drawing until he had her just right on the parchment. That's when George showed up with dinner; Merlin quickly covered the parchment.

"Princess Mithian has asked if she could join you for dinner," George told him.

"Is she waiting outside?"

"Yes."

"All right, show her in and make sure her dinner makes it here."

Mithian entered and came right over to Merlin. "Where have you been all day?"

"After I had a bath, I visited Lady Morgana in her chambers. We talked."

"Ooh, all alone?"

"Of course not! Gwen was around the whole time. I may not know a whole lot about royalty, but I know enough."

"Of course." A female servant entered and sat a tray of food in front of the Princess. She curtseyed and left after Mithian thanked her.

As they ate, Mithian looked at the charcoal and pile of parchment that had been swept to the side. "Have you been drawing?"

"Yes. All afternoon."

"Can I see?" Without warning, Mithian reached for the parchment and had pulled it to her before Merlin could do anything. He made an annoyed sound and tried to grab the papers but she pulled them out of his reach. As she pulled off the top piece, she "ooh-ed" at the sketch of Morgana. She smiled and glanced over at her brother. "Ah. I should have known from the way you looked at her this morning."

" _Mithian_. Give them back."

She shuffled through the papers slowly. "It seems like you got to study her extensively." That was partly true. He had gone about drawing different parts of her in large before condensing it all on several other pieces of parchment until he was satisfied, which he still wasn't.

Merlin sighed. His sister was just going to keep teasing him until he gave in. "We did talk for quite a while earlier."

Mithian finally finished looking at the drawings. "You like her."

"Is it obvious?"

"It is to me because I know you well."

"Do I have a chance with her?"

"As my half-brother and a Prince you do. As yourself . . . probably not. Especially if Uther found out."

Merlin groaned. "Uther. I almost forgot about him."

"Morgana's like a daughter to him, so if you want to be with her you'd better please him."

"How?"

"Be agreeable. Act like a Prince and hide your magic at all costs. Get to be friends with Arthur too. Don't forget he's your destiny."

"Oh, yeah."

They were both quiet after that and finished their dinners. Mithian covered the drawings up again and handed them back to Merlin. He smiled broadly after that and the tension was broken. They chatted about simple things until the servants came back to collect the trays. Merlin escorted Mithian to the door and they bid each other goodnight.

Merlin returned to the table. But before he sat, he picked up the canvas and sat it on the table. He spread out the sketches he'd made around the canvas. After he studied them a bit, he began drawing on the canvas.

He worked long into the night, even after George came to ready him for bed. At that point he was grateful the face he was drawing wasn't yet discernible. George was smart enough to forbear asking about it and easily took the dismissal Merlin gave him.

Two hours later, Merlin wasn't done but he was yawning his head off. He changed for bed and extinguished all the candles with a word. He'd just settled under the covers when he heard it—a deep voice calling his name. After a couple minutes, the voice spoke his name again, so he lit all the candles with a word and called out, "Who's there?" No one answered.

Even though the candles lit much of the room, dark corners still loomed. After a minute or so, he said, "Anyone there?" There was still no answer, so he put out the candles again, rolled over and went to sleep.

George woke him in the morning and this time Merlin let him help him dress. As he was finishing breakfast, a knock sounded on his door. George answered it and immediately bowed. "Your highness," he said.

Arthur walked into the room. "Good Morning Merlin. Are you ready for the ride?"

Merlin stood. "Of course." He picked up his finer jacket and shrugged it on. "Let's go." He nodded to George as he and Arthur left the room.

He followed Arthur through the corridors and out the front entrance to the castle. They talked about this and that while they walked. Merlin found his opinion of Arthur become warmer. The Prince of Camelot obviously cared a lot for his people.

They emerged into the courtyard to find Mithian, Morgana and four saddled horses waiting for them. The four exchanged greetings and they were soon off riding through Camelot's lower town and out into the forest. They rode in pairs, Arthur and Mithian then Merlin and Morgana.

The group was nearing the base of a hill, the top of which would apparently show Merlin and Mithian "one of the best views of Camelot." Merlin scoffed at his guides good-naturedly and when he fell silent, he and Arthur paused. The forest was completely quiet; too quiet.

Morgana was about to comment on their stopping when there were several cries. Men streamed from the forest, heading straight for the four on horseback. _Bandits_ , Merlin thought, right before he reached for his swords on his back. Arthur also drew his. "Mithian, Morgana—get between us," the blonde Prince ordered.

They rearranged the horses and the men fought from horseback as long as they could, which was only about a minute. Both were dragged down but not disarmed. Morgana watched them fight the dozen or so men before she jumped down from her horse.

"Merlin, give me a sword!"

"It's too dangerous!"

"You're outnumbered. _Give me a sword!_ "

He tossed one behind him and assumed that she'd caught it because a feminine battle cry rang from behind him.

Arthur, Merlin and Morgana worked their way through the crowd of bandits. It took several minutes, but the trio bested them at last. They stood there for a couple more minutes, catching their breath and checking each other for wounds.

No one saw a bandit slowly get up to his hands and knees then crawl until he was behind Morgana.

Merlin saw the light glint off the man's sword and reacted without thought. The bandit went flying backwards into a tree. Mithian followed the movement with her eyes and heard the sickening thud as he collided with it. She opened her mouth to comment to Merlin and turned back around to see Arthur and Morgana staring at him, mouths open.


	10. Chapter 9

"Merlin . . ." Mithian started.

Arthur interrupted. "Tell me that was a trick of the light, because that couldn't possibly have been—"

"Magic," Morgana finished with awe.

"Yes, it was magic," Merlin started, "I have magic."

Arthur drew his sword again and pointed it at the warlock. "How long?"

Merlin raised his hands to the sides of his head. "Excuse me?"

"How long have you had magic?"

Mithian dismounted and walked over to stand in front of her brother. "Stop this, Arthur."

Merlin made a disgusted noise and pulled the Princess behind him. "I've had magic since the day I was born."

"That's impossible."

"Is it? Considering that the man who taught you about magic isn't exactly unbiased toward it."

"Don't insult my father—"

"Arthur," Morgana cut him off. "He has a point."

"What?! No." He lifted the sword, which had begun to droop, to lie at Merlin's throat. "Tell me your plan, sorcerer."

"Oh yes, of course." Merlin looked over at Mithian, who nodded.

"Is she in on this too? Does she have magic?"

"'She' has a name, _Prince_ Arthur," Mithian said with disgust. "And there's no evil plan, nor do I have magic."

"Arthur, my plan . . . my destiny was to come here to Camelot, leave my beloved father and sister, and be your protector. I'm supposed to ensure that you live long enough to become a King legendary for his fairness and sense of justice."

The Prince and Morgana looked taken aback again, but Arthur didn't move his sword. When neither spoke, Merlin continued, "You'll be called the Once and Future King who will free magic, unite Albion, and usher in a golden age of peace and prosperity."

After a moment, Arthur spoke. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Not at all. So now you can kill me, and risk that I'm wrong or you can spare the life of the person who just saved Morgana's."

Morgana strode over to stand next to Merlin. "Come on, Arthur, stop this! He's had plenty of chances to kill us but hasn't. _He saved me!_ "

Arthur's arm wobbled as he appeared to give some thought to their words. The truth was, Merlin _had_ had every chance to kill them, but he hadn't. He even saved Morgana's life. And maybe just the tiniest part of him wanted to impress Mithian. So he lowered his sword and re-sheathed it. The three standing across from him sighed in relief.

"Come on, let's go home. I'm afraid I have to cut our tour short—my father needs to know about bandits being so close to Camelot.

The other three looked a little confused, but re-mounted their horses. Arthur let the ladies ride ahead of him this time so he could speak with Merlin. "I won't tell my father about your magic. Prince of another kingdom or no, he'll execute you."

"Thank you, Arthur. And about the Prince thing—I'm actually not Rodor's son. My father is a Dragonlord your father hunted. We fled to Nemeth because my father knew Rodor. Mithian and I grew up together and consider each other siblings."

"Oh."

"By the way you hurt her and I will call my dragon." That may be a lie since Merlin didn't have a dragon as such but the warlock just hoped Arthur wasn't very informed on the ins and outs of Dragonlords.

"Um, yeah I won't hurt her." Merlin grinned secretly pleased that his small white lie had worked,

"Anyway, we thought it best that I pretend to be Rodor's son. I'm sure you can see why."

"Yeah, it makes sense. Though you still have a lot of explaining to do."

"I know."

"Can you come by my chambers later this afternoon?"

"I'll do that."

They rode the rest of the way in silence, though the ladies in front of them chatted almost nonstop. It was agreed that they'd have a sort of indoor picnic in Morgana's chambers "because we can't waste all that food Gwen prepared." The boys were invited but Arthur declined—he still had to report to his father. Morgana looked a little too pleased at that so Arthur ordered everyone to ride quicker.

Upon reaching the castle, their horses were taken to the stables. Arthur rushed off to speak to the King and Merlin, Mithian and Morgana repaired to Morgana's chambers.

Gwen was there, and when they'd explained the situation to her, she pulled an old blanket from a cupboard and spread it on the floor. They invited her to sit with them and together they consumed most of the lunch. They talked about trivial things until Gwen confirmed that she knew about Merlin's magic. After that, the talked turned to magic and its use.

Morgana confessed to a rampant curiosity of magic. She related about her nightmares and how they came true. Merlin and Mithian looked at each other—could Morgana be a seer? Her mother was Vivienne, after all. They asked her to explain further, if it wasn't too painful for her.

The Lady told them she was fine. She explained how she'd had these dreams since before her father died. In fact, she'd seen her father die in a dream even before he'd left to join Uther's campaign in the north. She told them about other times her dreams had come true, from trivial matters to attempts on Arthur's life. And she confessed that she was afraid her dreams may be caused by magic.

Merlin took Morgana's hand. She smiled up at him and he almost forgot what he wanted to say. He was definitely falling for her. He gave himself a mental slap. "Morgana, it sounds like you're a Seer. Seers see visions of the future that come true unless someone intervenes. The visions are fueled by magic; it's truly a rare talent."

"And I live in the place where I could be killed for my talent." Morgana's head fell.

Mithian reached out to take her other hand.

"You're not alone in this, Morgana. Merlin's here and Gwen knows now. None of us will say a word to anyone else."

"I know magic isn't evil, Morgana. I've known both you and Merlin for years and neither of you are evil," Gwen added.

Merlin tilted Morgana's chin up so she could look into his eyes and see his sincerity. "I won't let anyone hurt you, I promise."

Morgana stared into his eyes for several moments. Mithian noticed the atmosphere in the room shift and decided she'd help it along. She turned to Gwen and said, "Gwen, I wonder if you could see me back to my chambers? I don't think I remember the way back."

"Of course, My Lady," the maid replied after a glance at the other couple. It seemed she had noticed the shift as well.

Merlin and Morgana turned to look at them briefly when Mithian said, "I'll see you two later." She turned and left the room, a smug smile on her face.

Morgana reached up to lay her hand on Merlin's, which was still on her face. "Thank you, Merlin."

"My pleasure. I couldn't see a fellow magic user suffer."

"Is that all there is to it?" Her eyes briefly dipped down before coming back to his.

Merlin's heart began beating faster. "My Lady?"

"Morgana." She corrected instinctively. "And are you only helping me out of a sense of duty, or is there another . . . feeling motivating you?"

"That depends. Do you return this supposed feeling?" Their faces moved closer together.

"And if I do?"

"Then I would be obliged to demonstrate."

"Please."

Merlin used his hand on her face to pull her lips to his—and oh, was it magical! Her lips were as soft as rose petals and her scent was twice as fair. He wasn't sure what to do, so he pressed into her for a long moment before pulling away. Her lips stayed puckered for a few seconds, until she spoke again.

"Thank you." She moved her chair over so that it was next to his and she rested her head on his shoulder.

Merlin moved his hand to cradle the back of her head.

"You're welcome."


	11. Chapter 10

Gwen opened the door then and looked at the scene in front of her. _Looks like it's getting serious_ , she thought. She cleared her throat to announce her presence. Merlin and Morgana sprung apart and looked over at the maid, who was pointedly looking elsewhere.

"Oh hi, Gwen, you're back," Merlin said. He was still blushing.

"Yes. And I bring a message from Prince Arthur. He'd like you to come to his chambers as soon as possible."

"Trouble?" Morgana asked.

Merlin turned his gaze to her. "No, he just wants to discuss my magic, I think."

Gwen came closer. "I hope he doesn't decide to execute you after all."

"He'd have to kill me first," Morgana said fiercely.

Merlin put his hand on her arm. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I can take care of myself, believe me. I don't think he'll execute me."

"All right."

Merlin stood and helped Morgana up. He put his forehead to hers and murmured, "I'll see you later."

"Till later then."

He turned slowly and walked out of the room. All he thought about on the way to Arthur's chambers was how he needed to finish that portrait. If Arthur didn't allow him to stay, he wanted that portrait as a reminder of his first love.

Soon he found himself at the Prince's door and knocked; Arthur's servant opened it and let him in. Arthur, sitting at his table, promptly dismissed his servant until dinner. He invited Merlin to have a seat, so Merlin walked over and sat in the chair directly across from him. They stared each other down for a few moments before Merlin broke the silence.

"So . . .?"

"So, you're magic."

"Yes. According to the druids, I'm the most powerful warlock to walk the earth."

"Warlock?"

"A sorcerer learns magic by practicing spells to tap into the magic of the world. A witch or warlock is born with the ability to tap into the same magic. I don't need spells but they are awfully handy."

Arthur's mouth hung open for a moment. "I never knew that."

Merlin bit his tongue. _Of course you haven't_ , he thought, but didn't say out loud. He wanted to, but considering how Arthur had reacted the last time he critiqued Uther.

"I'm not surprised. We're pretty rare."

"So you're the most powerful and claim to be on my side? That could be handy."

"Don't get the wrong idea. I won't be used, but I will keep you safe. I'm also here to show you that magic can be used for good as well as evil."

"How does that work?"

"Think of magic as a tool. A sword, if you will." Arthur smiled at this. "You can use a sword for good, by defending something you believe in. But you can also use it for evil, slaughtering the innocent, for example. There is no evil in magic—only in the hearts of men."

"So not all sorcerers are evil?"

"Arthur, _most_ sorcerers are not evil. Have you considered what would drive a person to commit an evil act?"

"Some great offense?"

"Exactly. What happened twenty years ago to greatly offend sorcerers?"

"Oh. The Great Purge."

"Do you know _why_ your father began the Great Purge?" Arthur shook his head; Merlin sighed. "Of course you don't. Arthur, your mother was barren and your father went to a sorceress for help to conceive. She explained to him that when a life is created, one must be taken. He agreed to it because he was desperate for an heir. He got you but your mother died."

Arthur's mouth hung open and his eye grew shiny with tears. "Th—that can't be true."

Merlin reached his hand over to touch Arthur's, but the Prince yanked his away. Merlin sighed. "I'm sorry, but it is true. You can ask your father about it, but he'd probably lie. Ask Gaius—he was there. He tried to talk Uther out of it."

"I will." Tears streaked silently down Arthur's face.

"I'm sorry to tell you like this, but you needed to know."

"Did I kill my mother?" Arthur had said it so quietly Merlin almost missed it.

Merlin reached toward Arthur again. "What? Arthur, no. Your mother's death was _not_ your fault. Several people share the blame, but not you. You were an innocent babe—how could you?"

"I—I just thought . . ."

"I can see how you'd think that, but no. Talk to Gaius; he blames himself more than you know." Merlin thought for a moment. "I'm going to change the subject; I don't want to distress you further." Arthur nodded. "What else did you want to know?"

Arthur cleared his throat. "You spoke of destiny. How did you know what your destiny was?"

Merlin rolled his eyes. "You know of the Great Dragon?" The Prince nodded again. "His name's Kilgharrah and he loves talking in riddles. He told me how I was destined to become the protector of the Once and Future King. I kind of laughed it off, but I was young then. He also told my father, who went to the druids for help.

"The druids told him about their prophecy, about Emrys and the Once and Future King. They revealed that I'm Emrys- the powerful warlock -and you're the Once and Future King. And a few days ago I was informed that it was time to fulfill my destiny by coming here, probably the worst place for me to be."

"So you had no choice?"

"No, but now that I've met you and gotten to know you a bit, I can see your potential, the King you're destined to be. You're a good man, Arthur, and it would be my pleasure to serve with you."

Arthur blinked. No one had ever told him anything like this or volunteered to serve him so freely. "I don't know what to say, Merlin. You've told me all these fantastic things and contradicted what I've been taught all my life. But I can't help but believe you're sincere. With all of it." He took a deep breath. "If you say magic is neither good nor evil then I believe you."

"Y—you do? Just like that?"

"Just like that. And we're going to keep pretending you're the Prince of Nemeth. I want you to stay here, to learn all you'll need to know about Camelot. And you'll teach me about magic. When I'm King, I'll take steps to end the ban on magic."

"Really?" Tears now flooded Merlin's eyes. Arthur nodded. "T—thank you! I can't believe this!"

"There is one thing though."

"What is it?" Merlin's joy began to slip away.

"Don't think I haven't noticed you and Morgana. I've seen you both look at each other when you think no one's watching." Merlin blushed. "Do you like her?"

"Yes," came out on a sigh.

"All the more reason we need to keep up your princely charade. I'll help you there. And after a while, my father may even let you court her."

"Really?"

"Considering all that you're supposed to do for me, it's nothing. I can see you really care about her. If she feels the same it would be a crime to keep you apart."

"Thank you, Arthur."

"Of course. Now, let's start your Prince training, shall we?"

"Oh great."

"No, really. You've got the fighting down, now you've got to learn courtly graces and etiquette. Shouldn't take too long—maybe a year?"

Merlin groaned and Arthur began explaining everything he'd learned over the course of his life. He was determined that Merlin would remain at his side, so Merlin put up with it. How better to learn than from an actual Prince?

When Arthur finally let him go after dinner, Merlin rushed back to his chambers. He dismissed George for the night then sat at the table. He pulled the cloth off of his drawing of Morgana and examined it for a few minutes. Then he got to work, drawing furiously long into the night. But when he finally went to bed, the drawing of his love hung on the wall, watching over him. It truly was his finest work ever.

Mithian left in the morning. She and Merlin said tearful goodbyes and shared a long hug. They promised to write each other faithfully. She took with her the well-wishes of the King, Prince, Lady Morgana, and Gwen, who'd help serve her. Merlin gave her letters to Rodor and his father. He wanted them to know all about his journey so far and that they wouldn't have to worry about his safety. His new friends would keep him safe and out of trouble, even if trouble still managed to find him.


	12. Epilogue

**Thank you all for your great support for this series and a special thank you to those of you who reviewed the story.**

 **I'm sure AJsRandoms is just as thankful as I am and I look forward to bringing out my next story and possibly working on a couple previosu that I have yet to finish.**

 **Lastly, a huge thank you to AJ who wrote the last five chapters and the epilogue. She truly is brilliant! And now I shall leave you to enjoy her final piece of work on this story but hopefully there will be more from the both of us.**

Time passed. Slowly at some intervals- during Arthur's training -and quickly in others- when he was with Morgana. After about two years, Arthur finally felt Merlin was ready to ask the King to court Morgana. The two had become closer and had managed to keep Uther from noticing. The King had been pleased at Merlin's progress in the "princely arts" and gladly granted his permission. The couple was glad they no longer had to hide their relationship.

Arthur and Merlin became best friends as well, though many noted they frequently didn't act like friends. They were constantly around each other, going on hunts, patrols and missions together. He saved Arthur's life more times than he could count. He even saved Uther's life a few times because as much as he hated what Uther did, he was still Arthur's father. And Arthur wasn't ready to be king yet.

Gwen and Arthur naturally became closer as they helped the other couple find time together. Gwen conceded that Arthur was becoming a better man with Merlin's influence. And Arthur could finally see the virtues in Gwen as he learned that class distinctions weren't an indicator of nobility. They gradually fell in love and she promised to wait for Arthur until he could freely court her.

Merlin stayed at Arthur's side even when the sorceress Morgause and King Cenred of Essetir tried to invade Camelot—twice. The second time was four years after Merlin had come to Camelot and Uther was gravely wounded.

After they drove the attackers away, Gaius treated Uther. He told Arthur that his father would probably recover, but he wouldn't be able to walk again. His injury had severed his spine at his lower back.

The King recovered physically, but succumbed to a deep depression. No one could bring him out of it and Gaius advised Merlin against using magic to heal him. "We can't know what kind of effect it would have on his mind," he told him.

A year after that battle, Uther caught a flu-like illness. Gaius nursed him as well as he could, but Uther couldn't or wouldn't fight it off. Finally, Gaius told Arthur that he could do nothing more for the King and he'd better come say goodbye. The King also asked for Morgana. Already grieving, Arthur and Morgana rushed to Uther's bedside.

The King was more lucid than he'd been in a year. He told Arthur how sorry he was for his distance and how he should have treated him more like a son rather than a prince. He told Morgana about his affair with Morgana's mother, which made her his daughter. Both were shocked at the news, and Uther apologized for not claiming her as the princess that she was. He lost consciousness shortly afterward and passed within the hour.

Uther's confession made his death harder to handle for the half-siblings, but they took solace in Merlin, Gwen and Gaius. But they had to push their grief aside for the sake of the kingdom, for Arthur's coronation would be the next evening.

After his coronation, Arthur sat in his chambers thinking of all the changes he wanted to make. He wanted Merlin to stay here permanently and function as an advisor—or maybe court sorcerer. And he'd let Merlin and Morgana marry. He also wanted to elevate Morgana and Gwen and appoint them both to his council. _That would certainly cause a stir_ , he thought. But the thing he most wanted, the thing he'd promised Merlin he would do, would cause the biggest stir yet—legalizing magic. So the best way was to tackle the problem in steps.

Two days after his coronation, Arthur revealed the truth of Morgana's parentage in court. He also elevated her to Princess and Gwen to Lady then declared he was courting the latter. He'd introduce them and Merlin to the council later. When that ordeal was over, he met with Gaius, Merlin and Morgana in his chambers to talk about steps to ending the magic ban.

Merlin and Morgana were formally engaged the day after. They, understandably, didn't want to wait long to wed, so they chose a date one week away. That gave enough time for a messenger to reach Nemeth and for those there to prepare for and journey to Camelot. It was small and simple as far as royal weddings go, but no family was happier than those involved in the nuptials.

As much as he rejoiced on his wedding day, Merlin rejoiced more on the day the final law was enacted that freed him and Morgana to perform magic. Many druids and sorcerers were present for Arthur's proclamation, and it was a great joy to hear them proclaim "Long live the King" alongside those without magic.


End file.
